Printing machine



90%. 26, 1937. F. G. LOUGEE PRINTING MACHINE Filed Dec. 19, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet l //vvE/vro/2 FEDEP/ck 6.1011655 l, Aim

Get. 26, 1937. F. G. LOUGEE 2,097,251

PRINTING MACHINE Filed Dec. 19, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 //vv/v 7'02 Refuse/ck 6. LOUG'EE Get. 26, 1937. F. a. LOUGEE PRINTING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 19, 1934 .m W W6 i E v0 M F m Patented Oct. 26, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENTQOFFlCE PRINTING MACHINE Application December 19, 1934, Serial No. 758,157 In Great Britain December .20, 1933 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in printing machines.

It is common in printing machines to provide what are known as leading-in tapes, 1. e. endless tapes which are constrained to follow a path corresponding to the path to be followed by a Web in passing through the machine, the tapes being arranged to be driven so that a web can be pinned or otherwise tied thereto to be thread ed through the machine.

It has hitherto been usual to drive these tapes from an impression cylinder or some other rotatable part of the machine which is caused during this web threading operation to run at slow speed, and in order that the tapes shall not be driven at the full speed of the machine, various manually operable means have been proposed whereby drive to the tapes may be interrupted.

The main object of the present invention is to provide a simple means whereby a leading-in tape or tapes may be driven at a low speed for a web threading operation and automatically cease to be driven when the machine speeds up towards full speed.

According to the present invention the driving means for a leading-in tape are under the control of means which are responsive to the speed of the printing machine and operate au- 39 tomatically to render the driving means inoperative when the speed rises to a predetermined value.

The invention is especially applicable to machines having the known two-motor driving equipment, one a slow speed motor which drives the machine at a slow speed and the second which speeds up the machine to and drives the machine at full speed, the arrangement of these two motors being such that the slow speed motor 40 is automatically rendered inoperative when the second motor takes charge. When the invention is applied to such a machine the drive to the tape is conveniently arranged to be responsive to the condition of the slow speed motor so that 45 when this motor is rendered inoperative the drive to the tape is also rendered inoperative. This can be effected by arranging the drive for the tape to be in drive connection with the slow speed motor (the tape being independent of the cyl- 50 inders and other parts through which the web to be threaded by the tape has to pass), so that the leading-in tape is driven only at a slow speed during which time it can be employed for leading in a web and that when the full speed motor 55 takes charge the tape is automatically brought to rest by reason of the automatic de-energization of the slow speed motor.

Alternatively, drive to the tape can be arranged to be effected through a clutch from some convenient driven part of the machine and the clutch arranged so to be operated that, when the slow speed motor is automatically rendered inoperative by the full speed motor taking charge, the clutch is caused to interrupt drive to the tape which thus automatically ceases to be driven when the machine speeds up.

It is preferred to'arrange for the clutch to be operated by an electrically operable member such as a solenoid the supply circuit of which is so linked with the supply circuit of the slow speed 5;

motor that when the latter circuit is interrupted to render the motor inoperative by the operation of the high speed motor, the supply circuit for the solenoid is also interrupted to allow the clutch to move to non-transmitting position.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic front elevation and Figure 2 a part end elevation of one arrangement, and Figures 3, 4. and 5 views of a modification, Figure 3 being a diagramm'atic front elevation, Figure 4 a detail view, Figure '5 a part end elevation of Figure 4, Figure 6 is an elementary electrical diagram illustrating the usual electrical control circuit for a twomotor drive equipment for a printing machine, and Figure '7 is a similar diagram which includes a solenoid in parallel with the slow speed motor In the drawings the invention is shown applied to the leading-in tapes of a single printing and perfecting unit but it is to be understood that 5 the invention can be applied to the tapes for a plurality of units.

Referring firstly to Figures 1 and '2, l, 2 indicate respectively the printing and impression cylinders of one printing couple and 3, 4 the print- 40 ing and impression cylinders of a second or perfecting couple. A web supply roll is indicated at 5 and the full lines 6 in Figure 1 denote the path which is to be followed by the web. It will be seen that this path comprises rollers 1 to H in- 4,5 elusive over which the web 6 is to pass before passing between the cylinders l, 2 and 3, 4 and rollers l2 to l 6 inclusive over which the web 6 is to pass after leaving the cylinders.

A leading-in tape is indicated by the dotted lines I! in Figures 1 and 2 and it will be seen that the tape passes from a pulley l8 over pulleys l9 and 28 to a pulley concentric with and freely rotatable with respect to the roller 1 whence the tape passes around pulleys concentric with and freely rotatable with respect to the rollers 8 to H inclusive, and with the cylinders 2, 4 and the rollers l2, l3. After leaving the pulley concentric with the roller l3 the tape passes over pulleys 2|, 22, 23, 24, thence to a pulley concentric with the roller N, then around pulleys 25 to 28 inclusive to pulleys 29, 30, passing around the same, and thence to the pulley 8. The axes of the pulleys 2U, 22 are, as shown in Figure 2, inclined so that the run of the tape as it passes from the pulleys is in a different plane from the run of the tape as it passes to the pulleys, these pulleys 20, 22 being mounted on rods 3| which are adjustably carried by supports 32.

In the arrangement shown in Figures 1 and 2, the pulley 39 is the driven pulley rotation of which causes the tape I! to move along the path indicated so as to enable a web led from the roll 5 and pinned or otherwise secured to the tape to be led through the path indicated by full lines up to the roller l3, the web being released from the tape at this point.

The pulley 30 is driven through a shaft 33 having at one end a worm wheel 34 in mesh with a worm 35 on a shaft 36 driven by a chain 31 from a shaft 38. This shaft 38 is the shaft of the slow speed motor 39 of the two-motor driving equipment which is now commonly employed for driving printing machines.

As is well known, the slow speed motor is employed for starting the machine from rest and for driving the machine at low speeds up to a certain limit above which the other motor takes charge and speeds the machine up to full speed, the slow speed motor being automatically deenergized when the full speed motor commences to drive the machine. Thus, so long as the slow speed motor is energized, the pulley 30 and hence the tape H are driven and the tape can be employed for leading a web through the machine. When the speed of the machine commences to rise above the slow speed, the tapes automatically come to rest. The invention thereby avoids the necessity for the manual operation of clutches which has hitherto been necessary to disconnect drive to the tapes and also avoids any risk that this operation will not be carried out so allowing the tapes to be driven at the full speed of the machine.

Figure 6 shows diagrammaticall the usual electrical circuits whereby the slow speed motor 39 may be first energized for operation, then deenergized and then the high speed motor 64 may be energized for operation. Briefly, the line wire 60 is connected through a resistance 6| to the armature of the motor 39 and directly to the field 39 thereof by a movable contact member 62, the field and armature of the motor 39 being connected to the other line wire 63. As the contact member 62 is moved, the motor 39 is brought up to speed by the cutting out of the resistance until the armature is directly connected to the line 60. Further movement of the contact member connects the field 64 and armature 64 of a high speed motor to the line wire 60 and the motor 39 is de-energized by becoming disconnected from the line 60. Continued movement of the contact member 62 brings the motor 64 up to speed in the usual manner.

In the modification shown in Figures 3-5, in which the web and tape lead is somewhat similar to that described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 in that the tape follows the path taken by the web 6 in passing from the supply roller 5 into the machine, the tape lead includes a pulley 40 concentric with a roller 4| around which the web I! passes and this pulley 49 is arranged to be connected to the roller 4| through a clutch, the operation of which is dependent upon the energization and de-energization of the slow speed motor. The clutch is shown in detail in Figures 4 and 5 in which it will be seen that the shaft 42 of the roller 4| has slidably and nonrotatably mounted on it one part 43 of a cone clutch, the other part 44 of which is formed integral with the tape pulley 40, this pulley being rotatably mounted on a hub 45 secured to any convenient part of the framing of the machine. The part 43 of the clutch is formed with a circumferential groove to receive shoes 45 carried on a yoke member 41 pivoted at 48 and connected at 49 to the core 59 of a solenoid the casing of which is indicated at 5|. The core 50 is biased by a spring 52 to move to the left as seen in Figure 4 so that the core is biased to de-clutch drive between the roller 4| and the pulley 40.

The winding of the solenoid is in electrical connection with the supply circuit for the slow speed motor: thus, when the motor is energized to start the machine and to run it to the slow speed limit the solenoid is energized, thus rocking the yoke piece 41 to move the part 43 of the clutch into engagement with the part 44 of the clutch, thus establishing drive to the pulley 40 and hence to the tape. When, however, the slow speed motor is automatically de-energized by the full speed motor taking over the drive to the machine, the solenoid is de-energized and the spring 52 causes the part 43 of the clutch to move out of engagement with the part 44 so that drive to the pulley 40 and hence to the tape is disconnected and the tape comes to rest.

Figure '7 shows diagrammatically the usual electrical circuits whereby the slow speed motor 39 may be first operated, then stopped, and then the high speed motor 64 operated. This operation is similar to that of the circuit shown in Figure 6. In addition to the circuit shown in Figure 6, the solenoid 5| is shown in Figure '7 connected in parallel with the motor 39 whereby it will be energized as above described when the motor 39 is energized and be de-energized when the motor 39 is de-energized.

It will be obvious that the energization of the solenoid can be not only as described dependent upon the closing of the circuit of the slow speed motor but merely dependent upon the closing of the main control switch, the essential feature of the operation of the construction described being that the solenoid would be energized until the supply circuit for the slow speed motor is opened.

The circuit of the solenoid is arranged to be unafiected (i. e. to remain open) when for any purpose the speed controller of the machine is operated to reduce the speed of the machine until the speed has been reduced a predetermined low figure sufficient to ensure that the low speed motor is again driving the machine, whereupon the solenoid is again energized to move the clutch in. The clutch will remain in until either the main switch is opened or the press is again driven by the high speed motor.

The predetermined low speed at which the solenoid again becomes energized will be selected to be below the speed (usually about '7 or 8 revolutions per minute) at which a new web roll is joined to an expiring web so that the slowing down of the machine for this purpose will not establish drive to the tape.

The supply circuit for the solenoid is arranged to be independent of the usual inching control circuit whereby the machine may be slowly moved by the slow speed motor, although it will be arranged to close to reenergize the solenoid at a speed at least equal to the usual inching speed so that inching movement of the machine will be transmitted to the tape.

ihe roller 4! which is employed for driving the tape may be one of the usual slitting rollers; and as these roll rs are usually positioned at or near the top of the machine and a web is usually fed from below the machine, it will be seen that this arrangement enables the tensioned side of the tape I! to be employed in pulling the web through the machine, the non-tensioned side of the tape being the return side. The use of a driven part of the machine (e. g. the slitting roller) enables drive for the tape to be taken from a more convenient place instead of having to transmit drive from the slow speed motor itself which may be located at some distance from the tape.

Although tapes have been referred to, it is obvious that any other endless members such as chains could be employed.

What I claim is:-

1. In a printing machine of the type wherein a slow speed motor for starting the machine and a second motor for full speed operation thereof, is provided and, wherein the slow speed motor is de-energized and stops when the second motor is in operation, a part adapted to be rotated by the slow speed motor, and a web leading-in tape driven by said part whereby the tape will stop when said slow speed motor stops.

2. In a printing machine or" the type wherein a motor is provided in driving connection with the machine to start the operation thereof and then stop, a part connected to said motor to be driven thereby and to stop therewith, and a web leading-in tape drivingly connected to said part.

3. In a printing machine of the type wherein a motor is provided to initially start the operation thereof and then stop, and having a plurality of rotatable rollers driven by said motor, a pulley adjacent an end of each of said rollers, a web leading-in tape led about said pulleys, one of said pulleys being drivingly connected to said motor to drive said tape only when the motor is in operation to initially start the machine.

4. In a printing machine of the type wherein a motor is provided to initially start the opera tion thereof and then stop, and having a plurality of rotatable rollers, a part driven by said motor while it is in operation, a pulley adjacent an end of each roller, a web leading-in tape led about said pulleys, one of said pulleys being drivingly connected to said driven part to drive said tape only while the motor is in operation.

5. In a printing machine of the type wherein a motor is provided to initially start the machine and then stop, a part driven by the motor, a web leading-in tape drivingly connected to said part to be driven thereby only while the motor is in operation, and. means to drivingly disconnect said tape from the part.

6. In a printing machine adapted to be driven by a first motor for slow speed operation and by a second motor for higher speed operation, a threading device including a pulley operably connected to said first motor, and a web leadingin tape driven by said pulley.

7. In a printing machine of the type wherein a motor is provided to initially start the machine and then stop, a part driven by the motor, a pulley drivingly connected to said part to be driven thereby when the motor is in operation, a Web leading-in tape driven by said pulley, and an electrically actuated member to connect said pulley to said part when said motor is started.

8. In a printing machine, a driven shaft, a pulley connectable to said shaft to be driven thereby, a web leading-in tape driven by said pulley, and an electrically actuated coupling device arranged to connect said pulley to said shaft when the shaft is started to rotate, at a relatively slow speed.

9. In a. printing machine of the type wherein a motor is provided adapted to be energized to initially start the machine and then be deenergized to stop, a part driven by the motor, a pulley connectable to said part to be driven thereby, a web leading-in tape driven by said pulley, a clutch to connect said pulley to said part, and a solenoid arranged to be energized when said motor is energized to actuate said clutch to connect the pulley and the part.

10. In a printing machine adapted to be driven by a first motor for slow speed operation and by a second motor for higher speed operation, a rotatable shaft, a threading device including a pulley, means to o-perably connect the pulley to the shaft when said first motor is started to drive the machine, and a web leading-in tape driven by said pulley.

FREDERICK GRAFTON LOUGEE. 

